Overview:
Speaking with reporters Saturday, Fresno-area leaders at the federal, state and local level described discrepancies between reports they’ve received from constituents and immigration advocates and the official details provided by the Border Patrol.
A group of Fresno-area Democratic lawmakers joined immigration advocates Saturday, demanding more answers about a Border Patrol operation this week that reportedly resulted in dozens of arrests and sparked confusion and panic in communities up and down the central San Joaquin Valley.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents from El Centro, near the Mexico border, carried out an operation in Kern County this week which have resulted in at least 78 arrests, and operations are moving north towards Fresno and Sacramento, The Fresno Bee confirmed.
Speaking with reporters Saturday, Fresno-area leaders at the federal, state and local level described discrepancies between reports they’ve received from constituents and immigration advocates and the official details provided by the Border Patrol.
State Senator Anna Caballero, D-Merced, said her office has reports of Border Patrol targeting farmworkers in areas where they shop for food with their families and stopping farmworkers in vehicles, contrary to a Border Patrol El Centro Sector Facebook post.
“The reality on the ground is very different than what the report is,” said Caballero. “We’re not within 100 miles at the border, and to have them doing enforcement is new to us, and it’s what raised the level of concern in the community, because it wasn’t clear what they were doing.”
Border Patrol didn’t immediately respond to request for comment Saturday on concerns from local lawmakers.
Supervisor Luis Chavez highlighted reports of absences in various workplaces, including agriculture, food processing plants, businesses, and medical facilities due to fear and anxiety of Border Patrol operations.
“What we’re asking CBP and our federal authorities is to be cognizant so that we don’t have collateral damage, so that you don’t pick up the mom that’s going to work in the fields,” said Chavez. “There are people that are now not going to be sending their children to school next week.”
In an email statement to Fresnoland, a spokesperson from ICE said the agency “has no involvement in this operation.”
Caballero said her team is working at the state level to address the fear and danger in the community.
U.S. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, shared that he had spoken with a Border Patrol commissioner on Friday.
“He told me that was confined to Kern County, although it’s not clear to me that that’s the case,” Costa told reporters Saturday.
He also noted that those arrested were considered “targeted criminals” on a list, all of whom were undocumented and had prior criminal records. Costa said the focus of the operation was on trafficking—specifically human trafficking and the trafficking of illicit drugs.
He added that Border Patrol had “concluded their effort as a result of their arrests as of a day or two ago, and that they would reassess where they would go from there.”
Costa also said he was told no arrests had been made in Fresno County, but added “we’ve heard other information, and it’s not clear at this point in time.”
Nikki Henry, chief communications officer at FUSD, said in an email statement to Fresnoland on Jan. 10, that there had been one Border Patrol sighting near a school, but “no immigration officials have tried to come onto any of our campuses at this time.”
“This is an area we are incredibly passionate about as a district and are always happy to be a resource and speak to our commitment to provide free and safe access to public education for ALL students, regardless of citizenship status,” said Henry.
Henry shared that the district reaffirmed a resolution for FUSD schools to be safe places from immigration enforcement at a school board meeting on Jan. 8.
The district’s Administrative Regulation details how “to protect our students should immigration enforcement try to enter our campuses.” The document outlines procedures if immigration officials are on campus or request student or family immigration information. This includes how parents/guardians must consent before a student is interviewed or searched by an officer, unless the officer has a valid, signed warrant or court order.
The district also created an immigration resources webpage and is holding ongoing immigration resource workshops with community-based partners, which include emergency planning and “knowing your rights” tips.
The press conference also clarified that the Fresno Police and Fresno County Sherrif’s departments are not involved in any operations related to the immigration sweeps.
Centro La Familia, Fresno Center, Consulate of Mexico in Fresno, and the Jakara Movement also shared “Know Your Rights” information for the immigrant community:
- You have the right to remain silent and to ask if you are free to leave. You are allowed to ask questions but are not required to answer anything about your immigration status without a lawyer present.
- Do not consent to a search without a warrant. Border Patrol agents need a warrant or consent to search your belongings or vehicle, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
- If possible, take note of the agent’s name, badge number, and the circumstances of the stop. You can also record the encounter if allowed in your area.
Centro La Familia also passed out red cards from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center for anyone to use to understand what their legal rights are.
“We’re here because families are being torn apart by folks who have nothing to do with that level of criminal activity,” said Councilmember Nelson Esparaza. “I want to be clear, this is really just the beginning, and that I and we remain fully committed to fighting for our Valley’s immigrant population.”
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